Knowing you Deeper
by Brave-Phoenix
Summary: Soft whimpers while he sleeps draw her to his side. And her comfort takes all the nightmares away. She always wonders about his darkness inside... maybe, one day, he'll say.


_**Disclaimer:** __I own my insanity. Making sure it keeps running rampant is a full-time job. I don't have time to own Naruto._

**Knowing You Deeper **

_Kyuubi Tenshi_

Sakura had never known what was truly wrong with Sasuke, why he was always so… _dark_. He was… unusual, the way he never said anything, and was so serious. Naruto had a pretty bad life, when she thought about it, but Sasuke's wasn't all that bad… was it?

The mission they were on was fairly simple: they were to watch the Lord Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru, as he was escorted to an elite ninja academy several villages over. The child would listen to no one but Naruto; but thankfully, Naruto wasn't in the mood for tricks and games. Sakura watched now, from her pallet next to the dying fire, as the blonde and Iruka-sensei switched places for the night watch. Her turn had been the first, and now she rested on the ground, not uncomfortable, but she remained unable to sleep. Something was going to happen tonight. If she waited long enough, she might just find out what.

Konohamaru slept next to where Naruto had bedded down, of course, snoring softly in a deep sleep. He was nine now, rather than the immature klutz of a six-year-old that they had first encountered, and much more settled, though he often would practice with Naruto on various taijutsu and such. She had to admit, however begrudgingly, that the annoying blonde was good with him and taught him well, encouraging him as much as possible, but maintaining that certain, blunt… _Naruto-ness _that was always his. The trees around them were thick, seeming to hold in what little warmth the small fire gave off. Kakashi-sensei had been called away from them for this mission, and the lack of his easy presence was almost disturbing, he had become so much apart of the team.

She lay there, sure that it had been at least an hour or so since Iruka-sensei and Naruto had switched places, pondering over her favorite subject: Sasuke. He was always on her mind, but the squealing and hugging and constant begging for a date or for him to walk her home had since ceased, and their relationship had since become quieter. He seemed to like the quieter Sakura, rather than the ceaselessly babbling one. No surprise there, but the clincher was that he actually seemed… _fond_… of her sometimes. Well, maybe fond was a little too much to ask, but… sometimes he _would _walk her home, without Kakashi-sensei or herself asking him to. He would sometimes train her on her taijutsu, helping her become stronger. He rarely spoke to her, but occasionally, when the chips were down, his eyes would soften for her just the tiniest bit, seeming to say, "Sakura, I know you can handle this; show me I'm right!" and it seemed that, in the end, he always was.

A soft noise, much different from the nightlife of the forest or the soft snores of her comrades, broke her from her remembrances. It sounded like… someone murmuring fervently, pleading in tone, almost. She shifted, removing herself softly, noiselessly, from her sleeping bag. Sasuke had taught her much, and among the list was how to _actually be quiet_. He'd been rather blunt on how easily she could be heard. She'd gotten so good that sometimes she could even avoid that annoying sixth sense of his. Now, she followed her ears to the source and, much to her surprise, it was Sasuke! She was confused, but she knelt next to him and gripped her hair as she leaned over, close enough to hear.

"Mother… Father… not… no… not happening… why did you… why… why did you kill them, brother?" he begged softly, the soft tones not of the cold-hearted youth with which she had become familiar, but of a innocent, hurt child. His face contorted in sadness, and tears slipped from beneath his tightly shut eyelids, managing to escape and roll back into his tousled mane of raven hair. She had… never seen him cry before…

With tender, trembling fingers, she gently brushed away his tears, but more came. They continued streaming down his face ceaselessly, and his expression remained so contorted in pain that she contemplated waking him up, just to relieve him of his nightmare.

"Sasuke…" she murmured. Without thinking twice about it, or even once, for that matter, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his eye, brushing back his bangs as she sat up. His shaking stopped. The soft, incessant begging stopped. For a moment, he completely relaxed, her hand resting on top of the arm beneath the light woolen blanket, and he squeezed his eyes together tighter before opening them to reveal misplaced onyx orbs. He looked at her blankly for a moment before his glance shot heavenward. She didn't blush, she didn't stammer nervously, she simply watched him, waiting for him to curse her or criticize her, but it never came. His gaze returned to meet hers of emeralds.

"You should be sleeping; it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

His façade was back, perfectly in place as though nothing had happened. Assuredly, he didn't know anything had. His gaze suddenly wandered down to where her hand rested on his arm, and he stared at it quietly, not yelling at her or pushing her away, no reaction of any sort, just… staring. Not a glare, but… it was as though something about the way her palm… fit over his arm in tender comfort… was interesting, captivating to him, almost, though per usual he showed no emotion. She pulled back, but… on impulse, she pushed his bangs to the side again softly. With that she stood, her feet making not even the slightest sound in the early autumn leaves, and made her way back to her sleeping back. Slipping beneath the soft blanket once again, she murmured him a soft good-night. "Sweet dreams, Sasuke-kun."

And she fell asleep before she could even hear his soft reply.

"Good-night… Sakura-chan."

* * *

**AN: The first Naruto fic I EVER WROTE, and I think I'd seen about... six or so eps at this point. Oh well; I'm rather fond of it. Please review!**


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